“The small architecture Mini PC is nothing particularly new, but what intrigues me is the fever pitch it is creating among Mac fans. Windows based Small PCs have been around for a while without much success. Steve Jobs cannot be accused of introducing small architecture PCs, and that’s for sure,” The Inquirer writes in a piece attributed to “The Inquirer Staff.”
“For example, Stealth Computers has Pentium 4, Pentium III and fanless models to boot. While they are more expensive than the Apple Mac Mini, you do get what you pay. For example, the Mac Mini has a 4200 RPM 40GB notebook hard drive, while the Stealth has 3.5-inch hard drives, although you can get it with 2.5- inch drives if you so desire. The Mac Mini has a 1.25GHz or a 1.42GHz CPU while a Stealth can be configured up to a 3.2GHz Pentium 4 capable of hyperthreading. The Mini has one memory slot while the Stealth has two,” The Inquirer writes.
The Inquirer writes, “But the real question is how can the Mac Mini sell in large volumes if people have to buy keyboard, mouse, monitor and speakers, and be stuck with a 4X burner on DVDs without a real upgrade path? In the ever changing PC Hardware world I believe that having a way to upgrade without having to buy a new PC makes for an easy choice.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: If you totally ignore the Mac mini’s rock-solid operating system, Mac OS X, which lacks viruses and malware as well as the mini’s unmatched included software, any comparison with a Wintel PC is worthless. Sadly, that’s what this article does. If you want to read real reviews of Apple’s new Mac mini that show understanding of the entire package, try “Tools Of The Trade: The Apple Mac Mini,” Stephen Pritchard’s piece for The Independent or Stephen H. Wildstrom’s “And For Steve Jobs’s Next Trick… The Mac Mini offers flexibility and style at just $499,” for BusinessWeek. Both of these articles are worth the read, unlike The Inquirer’s.
Why would you expect a well researched article from the enquirer?
On another note: my shoe-box powermac finally has a CD-ROM built in.
“While they are more expensive than the Apple Mac Mini, you do get what you pay.”
Idiot! If you’re willing to pay more Apple offers some very powerful and well-equipped computers as well. Duhhh!
Secret word: doubt, as in I doubt this common ‘tater switched on his brain before putting his mouth in gear.
The Inquirer doesn’t know how the Mac mini can sell in large volumes.
That’s more of a criticism of the Inquirer than it is a criticism of the Mac mini.
OK, the journalist doesn’t get it, but the people waiting to buy them are able to understand what the appeal is.
But the thing that’s escaped his attention is that it’s not being bought just by “Apple fans’. It’s also being bought by people who used to be PC fans.
The 2 things I have a hard time getting past in these “reviews” of the Mini.
The first is the constant reference to…”… is how can the Mac Mini sell in large volumes if people have to buy keyboard, mouse, monitor and speakers,…”
What, are these people that review computers REALLY that uneducated when it comes to a KVM switch? 99% of these articles NEVER even mention that totally SIMPLE solution!!!!!!!
The scond is the UNFAIR comparison of a “similarly” spec’ed out PC. NONE of the PC’s they mention come with ANY software that matches iLife. If you want o do a similar breakdown it SHOULD be priced like this:
Mini – $420 (minus iLife).
Alos, why has no one pointed out that unlike Windows XP Home you DO NOT HAVE TO ACTIVATE PANTHER!!!!!
You don;t just get 5 installs and then have to call a CSR to get more unlocks!!!
magic word is “only” – as in “If ONLY these frigging hacks could write a decent review!!”
“In the ever changing PC Hardware world I believe that having a way to upgrade without having to buy a new PC makes for an easy choice.”
If only this happened more often. Most ‘PC Families’ I know pass Dad’s virus-ridden PC to the kids and buy a new PC laptop for themselves as it’s easier than fixing the problems. Upgrading an existing PC is for geeks and professionals only (like me), and even they upgrade every 2-3 years. I will have no problem upgrading to a G5 Mac mini in 3 years and the current Mac mini will be running better for the kids than a 3 year old PC would.
Another True Tale from THE CONSULTING UNDERGROUND…
Friday night at 05:30pm got a call from a clothing manufacturer. E-mail server down and they needed it back up ASAP. They told me it was Windows. I said, “Huh? Where’d you get my name?” Some guy I used to work with back in the day at Bank America gave them my name.
The guy on the phone described the server. Some big honking Dell. Dell had given them the name of some local Dell Certified consultants. The Dell guys estimated the cost to get the server back up and running to be $1500.
I asked are there any Windows specific applications running on the server? They guy said it only handled e-mail, but it had to work for Windows e-mail clients. I said I can be there in 45 minutes.
I just happened to have a Mac Mini with me. The low end one. I’d been carrying it around in my bag to show people. I’d had it for about 2 weeks and haven’t even hooked it up yet. Everywhere I took it, people were astonished. People love the Mac Mini. Especially when they actually see it. Everyone knows it’s small, but it doesn’t really hit you how small it is until you lay eyes on it.
Anyway, I show up at this guy’s place in downtown Los Angeles. I take a look at the Dell server, and he asks, “Can you fix it?” I say, “Why bother, I have another server here somewhere.” So I start digging around in my bag making a show of it. “Hmmm… I know it’s in here somewhere.” The guy says, “Are you saying you have a server in your bag?” Then I whip out the Mac Mini.
You could have knocked him over with a feather. He was freaked out and resistant at first thinking that e-mail has to run on a big Windows machine.
17 minutes.
It took 17 minutes to take the keyboard and monitor from his Dell, configure the Mac Mini, add usernames and passwords, and have it serving e-mail for the 15 or so people who needed it.
I charged him my cost for the Mac Mini, and $100 for my time, which came out way less than the $1500 the Dell consultants were going to charge.
AND it turns out he uses a web based management system for his company. We tested it, it works fine on the Mac. I demonstrated OS X on my PowerBook, showed him the facts of life concerning the Virus and security situation. He’s spent a small fortune already bringing in people to de-virus and de-spyware his machines. Next week he wants to talk about replacing the aging Compaqs in his company with Mac Minis.
Just goes to show ya. My first inclination was to tell the guy, tough luck, it’s Friday, I’m going home to watch Stargate and Battlestar Galactica, and Star Trek because it’s what geeks do on Friday night.
theloniusMac wrote ” . . . it’s Friday, I’m going home to watch Stargate and Battlestar Galactica, and Star Trek because it’s what geeks do on Friday night.” Friday nights are the best g*ddamned night for scifi!!!!
thelonius (where did you pick out this name?), you’re a champion!
Great story ‘thelonius’ –
just to think, he would have spent $1500 and still had a crappy Dell server which would have needed another $1500 repair sometime soon. Now, for less than half that cost, he has a solution which will bear fruit for the rest of his life.
Congrats – have a drink on me tonight. Awesome job.
“But the real question is how can the Mac Mini sell in large volumes”
Who gives a flying fart as long as it does already sell in large volumes? It is sold out. How much more can Apple sell than their complete inventory? The thing is flying off the shelves.
MW “work”, as in “put more work in your research, morons!”
Just one of the 1001 stories being generated about the Mac mini, eh? theloniusMac’s is a beauty, though, clearly illustrating how enterprise wastes money with Windows. (He’s spent a small fortune already bringing in people to de-virus and de-spyware his machines.)
I bet we haven’t even scratched the surface of what we can put the Mac mini to work on. Thanks, thelonious — you made my day!
Are all people who watch Sci-Fi on Friday night geeks?
Mmmm, I must be a geek then.
Mind you, I think Battlestar Galactica is like “Days of Our Lives” set in space. Pretty boring in my opinion. I’d rather watch original Star Trek episodes to be honest…. they had action, great stories and (often unintentional) humour. BG show takes itself too seriously and it is a bore as a result. Sorry, but I expected more action, not some talky cerebral show. Yea, I know, it’s cheaper to produce than a space battle each week – but even the ’70s version of the show had more action. If I want interrelationships, I’ll watch the L Word. I’ll stick with it a few more episodes tho and see if my opinion changes. It just wasn’t what I was expecting.
ps Did Thelonius Mac obtain his name from the late Jazz pianist/composer Thelonious Monk? I wonder.
pedro :- vote for theloniusmac!
MW-“greater” as in the sum of the parts is WAY greater the whole!
Now that is a true conversion story.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smile” style=”border:0;” /> I think you should submit it to Apple so they can make a whole Switch add about it. Actually, that would be a really cool television advertisement. You walk in, look at the giant Windows machine and the $1500 bill, pull out a Mac Mini from your briefcase, and he’s up and running. Oooh, that would get some switchers…
-Russ
Thelonius– brings tears to my eyes, sniffle sniffle.
Great story.
mmm…forget the main article… theloniusMac’s story rocks!
But is it real? Straight up?
Come on be honest!
We want to know.
Interesting:
The client’s biggest worry?
Someone might steal the Mac Mini. It’s too easy to walk off with.
re: theloniusMac.
The mac mini does have a lock port in the rear – all they have to do is lock it to the desk!
Simple and no worries…
TheloniusMac story would be an awesome television commercial.
Here’s an example of the lock down cable you can get for Mac mini. $40 from the Apple Store. http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/72103/wo/vS1HF6FUpbGb3qrZZ8IRLTqdhlS/2.0.11.1.0.6.25.7.11.8.3
Lock Cable…
Thanks!
Good idea.
I love my Mini……
And I think the new BG has some cool differences from the original.
Why not simply hide the Mac mini somewhere where nobody would look for it ?
Put inside an object that looks uninteresting and serves no real useful purpose, somewhere where only the foolhardy would venture inside.
Put inside the Dell casing.
I don’t usually mention my magic word, but this time it’s ‘problem’ which applies to the Dell, or just needs ‘solved’ added for the Mac.
gabriel
Really dear boy!
He got the name, of course, from one of America’s great jazz musicians:-
Thelonius Monk.
No one would steal a shoebox. Man, I love my shoebox…. its my only friend in the world….
God, I need a hug.
http://homepage.mac.com/padtitani/PhotoAlbum2.html
Those are old pictures. It has been redone with a CD-ROM and will no longer catch on fire.
Guys.. this is the closest thing to ‘licensing’ the Mac OS X that Apple can do and maintain that ‘widget-ness’
Any more and you have to start building hundreds of drivers.. like MS.. and well..they have 20,000 programmers and they can’t get it right..
Ah yes. The old PC Reviewer.
Let’s see, where to start. “It’s more expensive, but you get what you pay for!” HA!
His Stealth PC with a Combo Drive, 2 GHZ Celeron, 256MB of RAM, and an 80GB Hard drive comes to…$1270! This is compared to the Mac mini with an 80GB for $549.
And, for your $1270, you don’t get a mouse or a keyboard! You also don’t even get Windows! You also end up with Intel’s Integrated Graphics–you don’t even get a real graphics card! Also, his PC is almost twice the volume of the Mac mini.
This is the funny part. He starts and ends the article talking about the $399 and $499 PCs and just makes a quick reference to how, yeah, these small footprint PCs are “more expensive–but you get what you pay for!” These small footprint PCs are about 2.5x more expensive just to put an operating system on!
Great Story theloniusMac!!! I think you should send it to Apple.
I sent the following email to the Enquirer:
When oh when will you look beyond the box.
Here is what you get for 499 (574 if you bump to 512mb memory, which you probably should do to get the best experience):
A great small computer that is highly portable and will save them space.
An end to battling viruses, worms, trojan horses, spyware, adware, or other malware (Currently there are ZERO self propagating viruses in the wild for OS X, yes that is right, ZERO. Contrast this to the over 70,000 viruses that exist for windows. It always bugs me when everybody says Macs have fewer problems with malware that windows. For the last four years we have had ZERO problems so it should be “Macs currently have NO PROBLEMS WITH VIRUSES” not “fewer problems”). Oh and here is a link to an article that explains why the Mac will ALWAYS be more secure:
http://daringfireball.net/2004/06/broken_windows
OS X which is rock solid and almost never has to be re-booted, is highly intuitive and easy to use (my three year old son and my 78 year old mother can both do pretty well on it) AND is nice to look at (Life is too short. If you are going to be looking at something all day long, it should at least be nice to look at and easy and fun to use)
Lots of best of class free software bundled in. The Mac mini includes:
The iLife fully integrated suite (iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iTunes, and Garage Band – this integration is incredibly important and it is too much to explain all the things that these applications can do interactively here, if you are interested you should look at the apple.com website),
Appleworks for word processing and spreadsheets (and which can save documents in a Microsoft Office compatible format),
Quicken 2005 to manage your finances and balance your checkbook,
Address book software which also prints labels,
the iSync syncronization software to sync your calendar and addresses with your phone or PDA,
The Safari Internet browser software (which also blocks popups),
Email software which is also integrated with iPhoto and the Address book,
Calendar/Scheduling software,
and my favorite – iChat AV – free video conferencing software which is also best of class, can go to full screen, and is smooth with perfect voice video synchronization.
They even throw in a couple of games in (Nanosaur 2 and Marble Blast Gold).
You could almost think of it as a 499 dollar bundle of software (and cheap at the price) with a FREE computer included to run it for you.
For 499 this sounds like a pretty good deal to me.
Jack A
Peter, that’s an excellent point and I’d like to expand on it as well. I found the system you did and added Win XP Pro, for a cost of $1465.
For a similar price, I configured a 1.25 GHz Mac mini with 512 MB Ram, 80 GB HDD, 4x SuperDrive, Bluetooth+Airport Extreme adapter, wireless Keyboard and Mouse bundle and 3 year AppleCare Protection. This came to $1071 on Apple’s Online Store (a $394 difference in favor of Mac mini). I then added a SONY SDM-S74/B 17″ LCD Display (500:1 contrast ratio, DVI support for optimal image quality). Cost: $345.
The total price of this configuration that wipes the floor of the mini PC: $1416. $49 less than the PC. Maybe I should pony up and additional $30 for iWork or $50 more for an iPod shuffle.
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The funny thing is that even though the Mac mini is $49 cheaper, that doesn’t even include the value of the software (excluding the OS). If you factor in the value of iLife, Quicken 2005, the two games included, and AppleWorks, the PC has a LOONNNGG way to go before it can totally catch up (if that’s even possible).
Here’s the link to the display I used. http://www.macmall.com/macmall/shop/detail.asp?dpno=420788
While they are more expensive than the Apple Mac Mini, you do get what you pay.
Oh, the irony.
Alternatively, I could have also gone with the 1.42 GHz Mac mini and come out spending $1 extra than I would for the mini PC.
“But the real question is how can the Mac Mini sell in large volumes if people have to buy keyboard, mouse, monitor and speakers, and be stuck with a 4X burner on DVDs without a real upgrade path?”
When are these retarded PC reviewers going to get it through their thick skulls? CONSUMERS DO NOT UPGRADE THEIR PCs. The average consumer at which the Mac mini is aimed will be quite happy to stick with what’s in the box for years, just as they’ve done for every PC they’ve ever owned.
Also, someone on Slashdot said it best: the Mac mini wins because it’s small, cheap, full-featured, and quiet. Even if you ignore all the wonderful software that comes preloaded on the Mac mini, no other piece of hardware can beat it on all four qualities.
Sure the cheapest Dell costs less, but it has less features and it is much, much bigger. You can buy a PC that’s just as small, but it’s much, much more expensive.
Every “favorable” comparison of a PC alternative focuses on one of these qualities to the exclusion of the others. When you look at all four in tandem, the Mac mini is unbeatable.
These same people who are now writing that the mini is too expensive if you factor in the cost of display, etc, are the same people who, six months ago, were writing that the iMac was too expensive because it included a display, etc, that they already owned.
Here’s a better Mini review:
http://www.machtpc.com/archives/2005/02/04/my-mac-mini-first-impressions/
macnut222,
What’s that monitor like? I was thinking about getting a 20″ Cinema Display, but since the Sony is half the price I might consider it…
Has it got a DVI connection?
Thelonius Sphere Monk
http://www.anecdotage.com/index.php?aid=1390
—
I used his middle name as my email address for years. (sphere@…….com) First turned on to his work back in the early 90s when I was in high school. Dave Sanborn’s show Night Music featured on of his songs – Mysterioso – played by the house band with guest musicians.
Band: Dave Sanborn, Hiram Bullock, Marcus Miller, Omar Hakim, Don Alias
Guests: Steve Swallow, Carla Bley, Bootsey Collins, and I think Papa Staples
—
Anyway… cool story Thelonius Mac.
Thelonius Sphere Monk
http://www.anecdotage.com/index.php?aid=1390
—
I used his middle name as my email address for years. (sphere@…….com) First turned on to his work back in the early 90s when I was in high school. Dave Sanborn’s show Night Music featured on of his songs – Mysterioso – played by the house band with guest musicians.
Band: Dave Sanborn, Hiram Bullock, Marcus Miller, Omar Hakim, Don Alias
Guests: Steve Swallow, Carla Bley, Bootsey Collins, and I think Papa Staples
—
Anyway… cool story Thelonius Mac.
A little addition:
If you think the Windows vs Mac debates can go on and on. Try talking to musicians sometime. Every instrument has its own characteristics – its personality.
Musicians have their favorite year, serial number, string guage, effect pedal, model, reed, strap, cord, amp, etc.
But in the end, it’s all about your chops. The tools are just that… the tools.
A little addition:
If you think the Windows vs Mac debates can go on and on. Try talking to musicians sometime. Every instrument has its own characteristics – its personality.
Musicians have their favorite year, serial number, string guage, effect pedal, model, reed, strap, cord, amp, etc.
But in the end, it’s all about your chops. The tools are just that… the tools.
Smithy, I don’t have any personal experience with the display, but here is a review from PC Magazine.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1649424,00.asp
Yes, it does support DVI natively.
One question: most Wintels use PS-2 mice and keyboards, and in fact I hhave seldom seen any Wintel with USB mice and keyboards. How can typical Wintel owners wishing to switch to the Mini plug these older peripherals into the Mini?. Perhaps the Mini comes with an adapter I haven’t seen in the ads?. USB mice an dkeyboards sure are cheap, but still add to the total migration cost.
Thanks macnut222, I think I’ll get that instead of a Cinema Display, and use the money I’ve saved to buy my brother a Mac mini – his Dell is WHACK, his Father-In-Law persuaded him to buy it 6 months ago, and despite all my warnings he went ahead and bought it.
Guess what – it has slowed to a crawl and it riddled with viruses. How unusual – NOT!
You can definitely get a cheap adapter for USB to PS2. If you can’t get it from Apple, any Radio Shack or other reasonably well-equipped electronics store will have it (under $10, I believe). BTW, more recent Wintel mice and keyboards are USB-based, though you’re right about older ones.
TheloniusMac,
Superb story
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